godly, it was an holy and good thought (to pray for the dead). For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin." (2 Macc. xii. 44.)

(b) The Jewish Liturgy to this day has such prayers; and Christ, as a Jew, must have used

t.em.

(c) Christ relates the prayer of Dives for his five brethren as a perfectly natural and proper thing in itself; rejected only because he asked an unreasonable thing for them, which after all would be of no avail. (S. Luke xvi. 28-31.)

(d) S. Paul prayed for his friend Onesiphorus, who at the time was undoubtedly dead.

(2 Tim. (e) The Apostolic Liturgies all contain them as a matter of course.

i. 18. Compare i. 16 and iv. 19.)

THIS DUTY RECOGNIZED BY THE

LITANY.

REFORMERS.

"Remember not the offences of our forefathers." "In the Day of Judgment, Good Lord, deliver us."

CREED.

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'I believe in the Communion of Saints."

Mere "sympathy among good people" would be no effort of faith; and as such would never have been put into the Creed. It is the "Comuni(cati)on" which Christ's sanctified members (the Baptized) have with each other, through Him Who is the Head of the Body, and Who therefore hears and answers the prayers of living for dead and dead for living.

CHURCH MILITANT PRAYER.

1549. "We commend unto Thy mercy, O Lord, all other Thy servants which are departed hence from us with the sign of faith, and now do rest in the sleep of peace. Grant unto them Thy mercy and everlasting peace; and that at the Day of General Resurrection, we and all they which be of the Mystical Body of Thy Son may all together be set on His right hand, &c.

1552. This was cut out to conciliate the unbelieving Puritans of Geneva, &c.

1662. Comprehensively restored thus: "We bless Thy Holy Name for all Thy servants departed this life in Thy faith and fear; beseeching Thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of Thy Heavenly Kingdom."

POST-COMMUNION, FIRST PRAYER.

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'Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching Thee to grant, that by the merits and death of Thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in His Blood, we and all Thy whole Church (living and dead) may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of His Passion.'

BURIAL OFFICE.

Baptized for the dead."-1 Cor. xv. 29.

Catechumens, martyred before Baptism, were Baptized by proxy, if haply the good work might follow them. (Rev. xiv. 13.)

Beseeching Thee, that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of Thy Holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul, in Thy eternal and everlasting glory."

CANON 55 (A.D. 1603).

"Let us praise God for all those which are departed out of this life in the faith of Christ, and pray unto God that we may have grace to direct our lives after their good example; that this life ended, we may be made partakers with them of the glorious resurrection in the life everlasting."

CHURCH MILITANT PRAYER.

(a) In the First Prayer Book of 1549, compiled by our own English Reformers, which they pronounced "agreeable to the Word of God and the Primitive Church; having been by the aid of the Holy Ghost, with one uniform agreement concluded;" this was part of the "Canon of the Mass" or Prayer of Consecration; when Prayers for the "Dead in Christ" were included as a matter of course, in accordance with the Apostolic Liturgies.

(b) In the Second Book of 1552, (which may be called "the Dissenter's Book,") intruding foreigners. prevailed to dislocate the Canon, cut out Prayers. for the Blessed Dead, place this portion here, and add the words "militant here in earth" to the former title, so as to restrict its application to the Living.

(c) In 1662, this was not put back into the Canon, nor was its title altered; but Prayers for the Dead were replaced as we have them still.

CHURCH MILITANT PRAYER.

SUBJECT MATTER.

(a) Preamble, or Invocation.

God requires prayer for all persons.

.—1 Tim. ii. 1.

(b) Eight Petitions: viz., for (1) Acceptance of Alms and Oblations; (2) Truth in Church Catholic,

and harmonious unity among Church people; (3) Christian Monarchs; (4) State Officers; (5) Church Officers; (6) People well; (7) People ill; (8) Dead in Christ. (S. John xvii. 9, 20; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2 ; 2 Thess. iii. 1; Eph. vi. 18; 2 Tim. i. 18.) (c) "Alms and Oblations.'

Offerings of money or money's worth, for the service of God's House, Ministers, Sick, Poor, &c., including the Bread and Wine.

N.B. Margin : "Alms or Oblations;" shewing that these are two distinct things.

(d) Bishops and Curates.

All the Clergy, not being Bishops, are "Curates,' i.e., have the Cura or Care of souls; being equal in Priestly power, but unequal in station, property, and other secular accidents.

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(e) "Indifferently" Impartially.

"Lively" = Life-bringing; as "Dead Works" bring Death; a "Dead Shot," &c.

Faith" leads to good works. (Tit. iii. 8.)

(f) "Doctrine."

A "Lively

Two meanings, (1) Thing taught; (2) Manner, &c., of teaching. (S. Matt. vii. 28; Acts xiii. 12.)

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(g)"Rightly and duly" Ritè et Dignè. Notes on Art. 25-7. "Duly" also refers to the frequency of Celebrations, and readiness to minister the other Sacramental Ordinances whenever occasion calls.

(h) "Adversity;" Fear;" Pause after each, to allow of particular cases being specially recalled and prayed for.

(i) "Holiness," towards God; "Right-eousness," towards Man.

Second Portion

OF

The Communion Office Proper.

THE PREPARATION.

THREE SUB-DIVISIONS.

a. Three Exhortations.

b. Confession and Absolution. c. Four Comfortable Words.

Exhortation I.

An Instruction to Communicants and Non-Communicants on three points, viz. :—

1. Real Presence of Christ in Holy Eucharist. 2. Help given to the Penitent by Auricular Confession, i.e., in the ear (Auris) of the Priest. 3. Benefit of Absolution.

HEADS OF INSTRUCTION, No. 1.

(a) "Most comfortable (comforting) Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ." "So Divine;" "so dangerous;" "consider the dignity of that Holy Mystery ;" "come holy and clean to such a Heavenly Feast ;" "otherwise increase your dam

nation."

(b)"Cross and Passion;" the primary source of all Divine gifts, bestowed upon Man through the mediatorial intervention of the Priesthood, in Baptism, Holy Communion, and the Five Sacramentals.